voracious

adjective

vȯ-ˈrā-shəs How to pronounce voracious (audio)
Definition of voraciousnext
1
as in greedy
having a huge appetite it seemed like the voracious kitten was eating her weight in food every day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in avid
showing urgent desire or interest a voracious reader

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word voracious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of voracious are gluttonous, rapacious, and ravenous. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

When could gluttonous be used to replace voracious?

In some situations, the words gluttonous and voracious are roughly equivalent. However, gluttonous applies to one who delights in eating or acquiring things especially beyond the point of necessity or satiety.

an admiral who was gluttonous for glory

When can rapacious be used instead of voracious?

While the synonyms rapacious and voracious are close in meaning, rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

When might ravenous be a better fit than voracious?

While in some cases nearly identical to voracious, ravenous implies excessive hunger and suggests violent or grasping methods of dealing with food or with whatever satisfies an appetite.

a nation with a ravenous lust for territorial expansion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of voracious Since the flesh-eating screwworm fly reinvaded Mexico in 2024, human cases of the voracious parasite have been mounting. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 If Harper’s voracious hunger for piling on details of Hollywood depravity can seem exploitative, the noir framework suggests another way of looking at it. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 The beyond-blood sisters who call their indie rock project Tommy Lefroy are voracious readers who encourage trading titles at their headline shows. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 5 Aug. 2026 The voracious adult caterpillar does most of the damage and will eat both leaves and fruit. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for voracious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voracious
  1. greedy
  2. avid
  3. ravenous
  4. enthusiastic
  5. hungry
  6. excited
  7. eager
  8. ardent
Adjective
  • Through its own websites, the mysterious group has been portraying itself as vigilantes out to rein in greedy video game developers.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • One of Nader’s grandsons, Shah Rukh, was tortured by a greedy court eunuch named Agha Muhammad to force him to reveal the location of the invaluable diamond.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of greedy
Adjective
  • Off set, Curry was an avid horticulturalist and worked on gardens across his own residences as well as in the homes of friends—among them, Freddie Mercury.
    — Irene Borger, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The strong first half comes as Lego continues to expand its product catalog, capturing new customers and retaining its already avid fan base of brick builders.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of avid
Adjective
  • The scenes were ravenous, and the pressure to play well, regardless of any physical or mental condition, is immense.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026
  • This franchise has proven the ability to spin anything — to keep ravenous fans on the line under any circumstance.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of ravenous
Adjective
  • Bell, however, couldn’t be more enthusiastic for the opportunity.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The other clock hiding inside it The TC001 has attracted an enthusiastic home-automation following because it can be used with AWTRIX, an open-source firmware and ecosystem designed around small LED matrix displays.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of enthusiastic
Adjective
  • Inter Miami is hungry to get back on track after the recent slump.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The continent's sweltering summer has meanwhile boosted demand for air conditioning and other energy-hungry appliances at a time when demand for gas, widely used for Europe's heating and cooking needs, naturally falls.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hungry
Adjective
  • On the opposite sideline, Trimble Tech Head Coach MK Hamilton entered the season with a more experienced roster and was excited about the leadership his veteran players bring.
    — Riley Ledesma, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Atlanta native is excited to carry his dreams and the family name forward.
    — PJ Green August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • Netflix has worked assiduously to burnish its reputation as a home for advertisers seeking to align themselves with its popular programs and eager to avoid the traditional model of deploying typical 30-second commercials.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars invested into their respective football teams by eager boosters, both SMU and Texas Tech have jumped ahead of everyone else in this state for the best view of UT and A&M’s backsides.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of eager
Adjective
  • Now, the paragraph on the website describes Alvarado as an ardent supporter of bipartisanship who is focused on affordability.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Mazloum announced the yeti repair — as well as the return of fan-favorite characters Dreamfinder and Figment to Epcot in Florida and an overhaul of Tomorrowland in California — to some of Disney's most ardent fans on Saturday.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of ardent

Browse Nearby Words

voodoos
voracious
voraciousness
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Voracious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voracious. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All